J.A.C.I.E.'s World (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 4

Gonna take a little Christmas break after this one. Next chapter will probably be up on the 28th!

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We were going to celebrate Christmas at my dad's house. Jack's parents had just come to visit us, so we weren't going to fly out to them. His siblings were on the east coast, who we could have gone out to see. But we decided to stay in LA. Otherwise my dad and Ben would have spent Christmas as just the two of them. It always used to be the three of us. My dad didn't have any siblings and my grandparents had already passed away. I couldn't just leave so suddenly.

So, it was going to be the four of us. Or, well, in the end, it turned into just the three of us again.

Jack was supposed to be there. But he got delayed in Nashville after being out there for a week to prepare things for their next tour. Which meant that he was missing Christmas eve. At least he'd be there on Christmas day. But it still sucked.

A year earlier, we had just sent each other a 'Merry Christmas' text and briefly called after the celebrations were over. But we were married now. Our first Christmas as a married couple was going to be spent apart. Hell, our first Christmas as just a proper couple was going to be spent apart. It didn't feel right.

My dad and I had been cooking the Christmas feast and were waiting for the last dishes to come out of the oven. That was still going to take over half an hour, though. So I was just hanging out on the couch, waiting for the time to pass as Christmas songs played softly in the background and Ben got more and more excited about gifts.

It was when a slow cover of 'All I Want for Christmas is You' started playing and I found myself humming along, that I realised I really shouldn't allow myself to wallow in my own sorrows. It was just Christmas and it wasn't a big deal if Jack couldn't be there for a couple of hours.

"Is it cool if I go wish Hazel a happy Christmas now?" I asked my dad who was in the kitchen getting himself a glass of wine.

"Of course," he nodded as he came back into the living room, "just be back in time for dinner."

So, I got up and grabbed my jacket from the coat hanger. I shrugged it on as I left the house and went down the road. All the houses had their decorations turned on, illuminating everything with a warm glow. The street was always so cheerful during this time of year. The first Christmas I could remember, I was standing at the windows at the front of the house, excited as everybody turned on their lights at the same time. I was mesmerised. And since then, it was always something magical.

There were a lot of cars parked outside Hazel's parents' house. Her entire family would always come over and celebrate there. Her family was the opposite of mine. She had many aunts and uncles as well as cousins. It was hard to have the same with an only-child dad and a mother who ran away to LA.

I rang the all too familiar doorbell and waited for somebody to come open the door for me. It was a little chilly with the sun having set a few hours before.

Hazel was the one to open the door, wearing a silly Christmas sweater. The house behind her was busy and loud, her family chatting and getting louder and louder as conversations branched off.

"Merry Christmas!" I cheered.

She grinned back at me. "Merry Christmas!"

This was a little tradition we had. Ever since she had moved here with her parents, we'd go over to each other to wish each other a happy Christmas. The only times we couldn't do it was if one of us was on holiday.

"Is that Jacie?" somebody asked from inside.

"It is!" Hazel shouted back.

"Ay! Come in for a bit! We haven't seen you in ages."